One of the few unconditionally true things I was told as a kid is that time moves faster when you grow up. It absolutely does; it was just the 4th of July three days ago, I'm almost certain of it.
We've been doing summer things, most of which involves me either gardening or hiding from the heat, which I like less and less as menopause gets its claws further and further into me. I swear my base temperature has gone up by 5°, because I'm a stove, all the time.
This coming Saturday, we're going to do something fun. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it's not the fun our street has planned for us.
A few weeks ago, one of our neighbors knocked on the door, asking us to sign a petition so that she could get a block party permit for her grandson's tenth birthday. I don't want to be a party pooper, so I signed, but I also marked the date on my calendar to find something else to do, because the quiet enjoyment of my house is the thing I love most - and a block party, complete with loud music and bouncy castles and a multitude of over-excited children and their probably moderately drunken parents, running from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., is not my idea of fun.
So I'm going to pull all my breakable ornaments out of the front garden, tuck them away, and we're going to park the car in a friend's driveway overnight so we can leave whenever we want and not come home until 8:05 p.m. I think that's better for all concerned, because I guarantee if I was stuck at home with a full blast party going on outside my windows, I would want to write, or work on my audiobook recording, or do something else that required peace, and peace would not be occurring.
Quite a few neighbors didn't sign the petition, but she got enough names for the permit to go through. They can stay home and gripe about the noise. I'm getting out of Dodge.
3 comments:
What a kind thing to do, Karen! Your young neighbor will remember this birthday forever, you will simply enjoy your day being somewhere else. Martha, AKA Mamaw (of a 10 year old boy).
I live near a university and there are lots of loud parties, sometimes lasting into the wee hours of the morning. Screaming, yells, loud music (they have to yell to be heard over the "music.") So, I plug my ears with cotton, close the windows tight and turn on a fan for white noise. Occasionally, police need to be called.
On the other hand, I love the energy of having all the young people around. Most are friendly, kind and helpful. And parties aren't all that often.
Rufus is such a beautiful cat! My grandma would say that the devil's sticking out of him in this picture. Love his expression! :)
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